Men's Track & Field

Trio Set for NCAA East Preliminary

May 28, 2014

A trio of Central Connecticut runners will be competing at the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary this weekend in Jacksonville, FL. The meet is being hosted by the University of North Florida at Hodges Stadium.

CCSU's Brian Biekert, Craig Hunt and Jamal Fruster will each be competing in one event this weekend after earning their spot in the field as one of the top-48 performers in the eastern region this season. All three runners are looking to qualify for the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championship held in Eugene, Oregon from June 11-14.

All three Blue Devils won their event at the 2014 Northeast Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

Here is a look at the path to NCAA Championships in Eugene for each of the Blue Devils:

Fruster will be the first Blue Devil to hit the track this weekend running the first round of the 400 meters at approximately 7:20 p.m. on Thursday night. The first round of the 400m will feature six heats with eight runners in each heat (48 competitors). The top-three runners in each heat, plus the next six fastest times will qualify for Friday night's quarterfinal (24 competitors). The quarterfinal will be divided into three heats with the top-three runners in each heat, plus the next three fastest times qualifying for the Eugene. Fruster has a seed time of 47.36.

Hunt will take the track for the 10,000 meters at approximately 9 p.m. on Thursday night. The 10,000m will be contested as a one-round, one-heat race with all 48 runners on the track at once. The top-12 finishers qualify for the NCAA Championship in Oregon. Hunt has a seed time of 29:31.87.

On Friday night, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Biekert will run the 3,000 meter steeple chase. That race will be run with three heats, each with 16 competitors. The top-three in each heat, plus the next three best times will qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene. Biekert has a seed time of 8:50.84.

About the NCAA East PreliminaryPreliminary Championships Competition
Qualification to the preliminary championships competition of the championships is based on the descending-order list for the season, segregated by east and west sites. For each individual event (20 for each gender) contested at each of the preliminary championships competition sites, the top 48 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested at each of the preliminary championships competition sites, the top 24 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition. The stated maximums are absolute and will not be extended as a result of ties.Qualifying to the Final Championships Competition
Qualifying to the final championships competition is accomplished through performance in the preliminary championships competition at each site for events contested at those competitions. Twelve competitors from each individual event and 12 teams from each relay event advance from each preliminary championships competition site to the final championships competition. Qualification, through competition in an event at a preliminary championships competition, is required to participate in that event at the final championships competition.Announcement of Student-Athletes into Final Championships
The list of student-athletes, by event, who have been qualified from the preliminary championships competition will be announced Tuesday, June 3.